Rev Fr Mathew Thundathil, vice chairman of the Trivandrum Fuller Center for Housing, India, passes away!

IN LOVING MEMORY OF

Rev Fr Mathew Thundathil  OCD 

Born on March 04, 1966

Professed on September 08, 1988

Ordained on January 04, 2000

Died on December 05, 2017

Dear Partners in India and abroad

It grieves us beyond words to inform you that the light has gone out, for ever! 

Fr Mathew Thundathil, the vice chair of the Trivandrum Fuller Center for Housing, India, is no more! 

Fr Mathew breathed his last at a hospital (about 200 miles away) yesterday despite our fervent hope that he would return to the Center and resume his role as actively as before. But the Almighty has called him back!

We as well as all those who knew Fr Mathew have continued to pray for his speedy recovery since his hospitalization for the treatment of intestine cancer since early last year. When I met and spoke to him for long a couple weeks ago, he was able to respond only feebly from his bed. Still, I found him to be expecting a come-back.

But the Lord has willed otherwise!

The mortal remains of Fr Mathew, now kept at the Carmel Monastery, Trivandrum for his dear ones to pay their last homage, will be laid to rest at a cemetery, at 11 am on December 07, 2017.

Fr Mathew Thundathil has lived for the Lord and died for the Lord! 

We extend our heart-felt condolences to Fr Mathew's bereaved Carmelite community and his own family members, and sincerely pray for his soul, characterized by exemplary devotion, dedication and commitment to the cause of housing the poor, to rest in eternal peace!

Adv T H Lawrence
Chairman
TFCH
December 06, 2017

SIXTH GLOBAL BUILDERS

A 12-member team of Global Builders from the USA led by Kaye Hooker and Pamela Bland arrived on October 22, 2017. They were with us until October 29, 2017. During their stay, the members worked with and for two of our homeowner families in completing their Fuller homes - one in Erayancode and the other at Alathur both being located about 20 miles apart in Trivandrum district. The team witnessed the dedication of the two houses they had worked on. They also attended the Orientation and the Farewell meets. On the eve of their departure there was a get-together with the TFCH personnel and their families. Meanwhile, a rest and recreation program including a one-day house boat cruise had also been scheduled for the team. The whole team felt very satisfied with the food, accommodation and transportation provided throughout. Except for a couple of inevitable shortcomings, as pointed out by the team in their feedback, the mission of the Global Builders was found to be successful. We thank both the leaders and each other member of the team for their volunteerism, love, understanding and cooperation as well as the FCFH for sending this incredibly  dynamic team to the TFCH. 

The entire team at Orientation in the TFCH Admin Office

The team at dinner in the homestay

Kaye and Walter at work at Alathur

Roger with the homeowner on top

Pam and Roger painting the window at Erayancode

A houseboat passing by on the backwaters during the cruise

The team at lunch on the houseboat 

Gerald and Pam on the deck of the houseboat

Lady members of the cruise group with the chairman's wife in a park

A panoramic view captured from the houseboat

The cruise group with the chairman, his wife and the secretary

 

The team with homeowner Aswathy's family after dedication

The team with homeowner Shibu's family after dedication

Team leader Kaye presenting the Founders' portrait to the homeowner

Jim and Marci holding the Certificates of Appreciation with chairman and secretary

The team displaying the gifts received from the TFCH at the farewell meet 

The team at farewell dinner on the eve of departure

TWO IMPORTANT GUESTS FROM THE USA

Mr Babu Rajan and Mrs Cicily are originally from India though they have been living in the United States for over four decades now. During their recent visit to their hometown in Kerala, they found time to undertake a four-hour rail journey and to meet the members of the Board at the TFCH administrative office in Trivandrum on September 8, 2017. Earlier they had also dropped in at the Fuller home of one of our homeowners in Kottayam district and interacted with her family. The American guests were received by the chairman of the TFCH. We spent more than five hours discussing the formation, growth and development of the Trivandrum Fuller Center for Housing as well as our future plan of activities. Babu Rajan, an ardent lover of our ministry, was exploring the possibilities of prospective partnership with the TFCH, under the guidance of the FCFH. He and his wife had many questions on the functioning of the TFCH and the repayment trend. They surveyed the collage of TFCH houses displayed in the office. The entire process of housing - from education, selection, funding and construction to dedication, repayment and loan closure - was explained to them. Both of them seemed to have been fully convinced of how secular, transparent and frugal we are in carrying out the housing mission as envisioned by Founder Millard Fuller. Babu Rajan and Cicily pledged their support, to the extent possible, for housing the homeless in and around their native place. The modalities, it was decided, could be chalked out in due course via email. The visit of the couple was both encouraging and promising. It was a day of hope for continued partnership with these important guests. The TFCH looks forward to hearing from Babu Rajan and Cicily soon after their return to the US.

From your left: Treasurer Abraham Mathew, 
Secretary C K Alexander, Chairman Adv T H Lawrence, 
Cicily and Babu Rajan in the Board Room

The guests and the board members 
in the hall of the administrative office

      

FIFTH GLOBAL BUILDERS LED BY KATHLEEN WILLIAMS

 

With the arrival of a six-member team, the Trivandrum Fuller Center for Housing has had the privilege of hosting another dynamic group of global builders from the USA, led (for the second time in four years) by charismatic Kathleen Williams. Interested in housing the homeless, the team members are committed to helping our existing new homeowners by offering to work with them on the construction of their houses. 

The whole team posing together at the Homestay

Demonstration and instruction by the yoga guru

Four of the team spend a little time on yoga 
in the morning

The team at work for a homeowner

Captured from outside; looks as if 'behind bars'!

Team members and the TFCH manager carrying bricks

Kat is sifting the manufactured sand

The team and the chairman in front of a 
nearby Fuller Home

Cement and sand being mixed by Kat and Douglas 
with the homeowner

Jacqueline Rouse conveying cement packet 
in a wheel barrow 

Kat, the team leader, with the homeowner's children

A break from work for the team

The team with the chairman and the homeowner family

The team on a boat cruise en route the resort 

At the entrance of the Poovar Island Resort

Team leader Kat in the swimming pool of the resort

TFCH Chairman presents the memento 
to the team leader

Ethan with the memento presented by the 
TFCH Secretary

TFCH Manager presents the certificate of appreciation
 to the team leader

TFCH Chairman presents the certificate of appreciation
to Jacqueline Rouse

Matthew Weinstein with the memento flanked 
by the chairman and the secretary 

Christopher with the memento presented by the chairman

Douglas with the memento presented by 
Board Member Mr Vijayan

The team members are filling out 
the Feedback Sheets on farewell

Jacqueline with Treasurer's wife, Chairman's wife
and Treasurer's daughter-in-law 

Team leader Kat flanked by the homestay owners

The team members at the dinner table

Jackie, Chris, Matt and Kat were seen off 
at the railway station by TFCH Chairman

Ethan and Douglas were seen off 
at the international airport by TFCH Chairman